June 2002 — Vehicle Systems
New Fuel Cell Model Spin-Off from GCTool Provides PSAT with Unique Transient Capabilities
A new, highly detailed, transient, direct hydrogen-pressurized fuel cell model has been successfully developed and integrated into the PSAT software as a result of close collaboration between developers of Argonne's GCTool and PSAT software.
GCTool (General Computational Toolkit) is a versatile simulation software package for designing, analyzing, and comparing different fuel cell configurations for cars. PSAT, a "forward-looking" model, simulates vehicle fuel economy, emissions, and performance in a realistic manner, taking into account transient behavior and control system characteristics from the driver to the wheels.
Ranging from 5 to 200 kW, the new physiological model will provide unique capabilities to the U.S. Department of Energy in the areas of fuel cells and vehicle research and development. Indeed, this highly detailed model will allow, for instance, realistic fuel cell technology comparison by taking into account transient, temperature, and altitude. An example of the efficiency differences between steady-state and transient models demonstrates the importance of using this new model to obtain realistic results.
Dynamic vs. Steady-State Efficiency on a FUDS
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